Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Sells 64,886 Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. $VZ

Key Points

• Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. cut its stake in Verizon by 10.3%, selling 64,886 shares and now holds 565,152 shares worth about $23.02 million.
• Verizon beat Q1 EPS ($1.28 vs. $1.21 consensus), raised FY‑2026 guidance to 4.95–4.99 EPS and added ~55k wireless subscribers, supporting a near‑term positive outlook with analysts averaging a "Moderate Buy" rating and a ~$50.59 price target.
• Significant insider selling occurred—Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares and insiders sold 218,148 shares (~$10.78M) last quarter—while critics flag rising debt from the Frontier acquisition as a key downside risk.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. cut its stake in shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Free Report) by 10.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 565,152 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock after selling 64,886 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Verizon Communications were worth $23,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Richardson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 62.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ stock opened at $48.01 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $48.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market cap of $200.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.71, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.39 and a 12 month high of $51.68.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $34.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.82 billion. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.25% and a net margin of 12.46%.The company's revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-4.990 EPS. Research analysts expect that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This trade represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,976,739.60. This trade represents a 17.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock worth $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VZ shares. Dbs Bank lowered Verizon Communications from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Verizon Communications from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.59.

Verizon Communications News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results showed an EPS beat and management described a turnaround with stronger profitability and postpaid phone subscriber gains — the core catalyst for the rally. Verizon CEO Claims Turnaround Is Officially Underway
• Positive Sentiment: Promotional push delivered ~55K new wireless subscribers and Verizon raised FY‑26 profit guidance, directly improving near‑term revenue and margin outlook. Verizon's promos lead to 55K new wireless subscribers; raises FY26 profit guidance
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on VZ to $52 (maintaining a Neutral rating), signaling modest upside from current levels and lending analyst support to the move higher. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer perks — bundled/discounted streaming offers — are likely helping acquisition and retention trends, supporting ARPU and churn improvements. Verizon's Streaming Deals Let You Watch Netflix, Disney Plus and More, for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Cydcor, a Verizon channel partner, won Verizon’s 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year award — a positive PR/partner win but limited direct impact on VZ fundamentals. Cydcor Earns Verizon's 2025 ACD Wireless Agent of the Year Award
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst tweak: Erste Group trimmed FY‑2027 EPS slightly (from $5.28 to $5.26) but keeps a Strong‑Buy — little near‑term impact given the tiny change. MarketBeat / Erste Group note
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation and analyst-opinion pieces revisit VZ after the Q1 surprise; useful for longer‑term positioning but not immediate catalysts. A Look At Verizon (VZ) Valuation After Strong Q1 Earnings And Subscriber Turnaround
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators warn that rising total debt after the Frontier acquisition could pressure income investors and increase financial risk — this is the main structural downside investors cite. The Ticking Time Bomb That Could Force Income Investors to Sell Verizon Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Competitor OXIO hired a former Verizon executive as CCO — a small talent/competitive signal that could matter in niche TaaS segments but is unlikely to shift overall VZ fundamentals. OXIO Appoints Former Verizon Executive Jeremy Bolton as Chief Commercial Officer

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc NYSE: VZ is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company's consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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